Offshore platforms support hydrocarbon drilling and production operations in the ocean. Regardless of the platform type, steel is the industry standard material used to construct both the substructure resting on the ocean floor and the topsides supported by the substructure and extending above the waterline to house personnel and equipment. For countries with limited capacity to fabricate steel, the requisite quantity of steel for the massive offshore platform substructures may be unavailable locally, and obtaining steel from other sources may be economically infeasible. In addition, conventional offshore platform substructures, which are custom designed and constructed in accordance with specific design criteria, such as water depth, wave and tide conditions, and ocean floor characteristics, for example, require long project lead times. Moreover, the heavy equipment necessary to install such steel substructures may not be accessible in remote countries. Therefore, a need exists for a readily available, versatile, easy to install, and economical alternative material to steel for offshore platform construction.